Father-daughter duo finish first Tesla Model S coast-to-coast drive in less than a week

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An enterprising Tesla owner and his daughter have made it across the USA, from east to west, in less than a week following a twisting 3,800 mile route along the northern US that used only Tesla’s proprietary 120 kW, fast-fill Supercharger stations. The cost was zero, other than tolls and wear and tear, since the 120 kW stations are free for any Tesla. Their trip was all the more amazing because of below-freezing weather much of the way, which saps the battery’s range. They’re the first to go coast to coast using only Superchargers.

John Glenney, a 62-year-old Kentucky biotech entrepreneur, and his daughter, Jill, 26, completed the trip last weekend. John Glenney started in Kentucky, drove up the Eastern seaboard to pick up Jill in Hoboken, NJ. Once in the shadow of the Big Apple, he made one of many detours and long-ways-around, to JFK Airport Monday, Jan. 20, because that was the nearest Supercharger station. (New York State has no Supercharger stations west of New York City.)

Exiting the highway for JFK, he hit a pothole that did in one of Tesla’s low-profile tires and alloy wheels but Tesla roadside service dispatched a spare tire and wheel and it was replaced inside of two hours. He picked up Jill in Jersey and the trip was on before noon Monday. The trip is recounted on the Tesla owner forums.

In a combustion-engine car that had to travel along the northern US from the NYC area, you’d head due west out Interstate 80. Instead, with 71 stations spread across the US at the start of 2014 (map above), Team Glenney had to drop down to Newark, DE for a fill-up, then follow southern Pennsylvania to the Somerset Supercharger southeast of Pittsburgh (the only one in PA), then northwest to Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame Territory (Cleveland), and west to Chicagoland. From there it was farther north and west through snow and ice into Wisconsin (three Supercharger stations available there), following I-90 West through Minnesota and South Dakota before dropping down to Wyoming and Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and then into California.

By the time they reached their 20th Supercharger station in Grand Junction, Colorado, Glenney posted, “Speeds now 70-80 mph and I rarely check the range … Now that we have logged 2,500 miles (3,400 since Kentucky) I think we can draw some conclusions [about the Model S as a touring car]. First, it is very comfortable, no backaches or any soreness. Second, the infotainment system is awesome. We have listened to music and audiobooks from our iPhones. Music, news and podcasts from internet radio and Jill watched a movie on the iPad … the only thing we haven’t listened to is AM or FM radio, the staple of road trips for decades. Since the car is so quiet, we can have audio relatively low and hear it fine. Third, the amount of space is over the top … Fourth, have I mentioned that I haven’t had to pay for fuel. I would give the Model S 5 stars as a touring car.”

They arrived in LA Sunday, Jan. 26, having hit 28 of Tesla’s 71 Supercharger stations. John and Jill also reported covering 3,616 miles vs. about 2,800 for a traditional car heading due west on Interstate 80. They consumed 1,366 kWh of electricity, or 2.65 miles per kWh. Multiply that by the largest, 85 kWh, battery offered in the Model S and that equals an average maximum range (no reserve) of 225 miles, which most likely included snow-and-freezing-temps legs well under 200. Based on their 20 Supercharger stops, the average leg was about 193 miles before a recharge.

In our December test of a Tesla Model S, I found range was affected significantly by outside temperature, as well as by driving speed, driving style, even things such as how warm you kept the cockpit. At the same time, it was amazing to see the Supercharger transfer enough energy through its thick black hose in 45-60 minutes to give you as much as 265 EPA-rated miles of driving range (in good weather) with the 85 kWh model.

Tesla’s growing network of Superchargers

Tesla has 71 Supercharger stations across the country, mostly along the West Coast, much of the Eastern Seaboard, and major population centers inland. Right now it resembles ever so slightly what Verizon says the T-Mobile 4G coverage map looks like. But it’s growing. Tesla says more stations will sprout this year and by 2015 (map above) 98% of the US public (population, not land mass) will be within driving distance of a Supercharger station. The “driving distance” is shown by the lighter bands on the coverage.

Next, Tesla’s turn for an official cross-country tour

Tesla says CEO Elon Musk will drive cross-country this year to publicize the nationwide network of Supercharger stations. His trip is likely to be preceded by a less official trial run of Tesla officials soon. (Read: Tesla demos 90-second battery swap tech.)

Musk this week tweeted, “Will be doing the LA-NY family road trip over Spring Break. Made everyone watch National Lampoon’s Vacation as prep.”

The point of Musk’s trip is to convince EV buyers not to think about the gray elephant in the corner — in this case the fear of running out of electricity away from a charger. Even as Tesla builds out the Supercharger network, there are thousands of public charging stations, as well as lower-power Tesla chargers for home or business that run off 240 volts at 80-100 amps and can fully charge a Tesla in 3-4 hours.

57 days faster than the first cross-country drive of 1903

For the record, the first cross-country trip in a car took place 111 years ago, in 1903. Horatio Nelson Jackson, a physician who barely knew how to drive — not unlike many Americans today — and ride-along mechanic Sewall Crocker. They took 63 days and used about 800 gallons of gasoline (getting less than 4 mpg) to travel from San Francisco to New York City. Like the Tesla pioneers, Jackson and Crocker took a northerly route (to avoid the Rockies). And like the Glenneys, the 1903 trip started with a blown tire. Unlike the Tesla trip, almost every other part of the car’s running gear had to be repaired or replaced along the way.

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indio

Amazing! And with absolutely no fuel costs.

Now all they need to do is replace the fifteen thousand dollar battery in their seventy thousand dollar car!

Wonders never cease………….

CGriffin

The 85 kWh battery pack has an 8-year, unlimited mileage warranty. After 8 years, the cost of the replacement will be much cheaper and most likely will have a range of 500+ miles instead of the current 265 miles (Tesla is currently developing a 500 mile battery pack for the next generation of Model S).

indio

Good to know that the trust fund eco-freaks who can afford this turd in the first place will have a sweet taxpayer subsidized warranty…………..

CGriffin

You are obviously just an ignorant troll, hellbent on spewing as much negativity as you can about a car you know nothing about!

First, Tesla owners are not all “eco-freaks”. Many people buy this car because of its looks, quality (Consumer Reports “best car EVER tested” with a score of 99/100, and customer satisfaction surveys also giving it a 99/100 score), and safety (NHTSA government crash tests gave it 5 STARS in every category and sub-category, and gave it the lowest percentage of probability of being injured in a crash of any other vehicle EVER tested. So far, in dozens of crashes (some were absolutely horrific) no one has ever been seriously hurt or killed in a Tesla). Motor Trend Magazine awarded it 2013 Car of the Year, with this being the first time in history that all 11 judges were UNANIMOUS in their decision. No one in their right mind would ever consider this car a “turd”.

Second, Tesla no longer owes any money to ANYONE. They paid off their Department of Energy loan last year (9 years early!).

So stop the FUD about Tesla. Oh, and I think I hear your mom calling you for lunch.

For the cost of a first home it damn-well better have some comfy seat-warmers.

Spit the collectivist claptrap outta yer mouth – you compete for “loans” in the free market, by demonstrating innovative products which provide value to the consumer. Screech all you want my butthurt little eco-monkey but Tesla is nothing more than “sugar daddy” uncle sam’s dutiful little bitch-boy.

CGriffin

You just proved my point very well. Now go eat your lunch and let us grown-ups have an intelligent conversation.

Avril111

My Uncle Jacob got a year 2013 Audi TT RS
Coupe by working part time online. imp source J­u­m­p­6­2­.­ℂ­o­m

anders bjørnø

Too bad the Tesla’s better.

indio

Ahhhh! It doesn’t see how throwin’ one more brick out it’s little glass monkey-house invalidates it’s point…..

“conversation” more like butthurt monkey nuggets.

Jeff Dahmer

Electric vehicles have the potential to revolutionize our lives. The upside is so great, I have a hard time understanding your anger at Federal loans given to Tesla (which Tesla has, in fact, paid back already.)

And while it’s certainly true that there have been so-called “green” companies that have failed in the past, it’s also true that, as with any emerging technology, there are bound to be failures before major successes.

Finally, and maybe most importantly: our Federal government’s budget is in the several trillions of dollars per year. Complaining bitterly about a $400 million loan–a loan which, again, was already paid back–seems like an extremely misguided expenditure of energy.

Ray C

So, this the only car out there that cost more than some people’s car? A loan is a loan. Why does it matter as long as the money is paid back? And this isn’t the first product money has been spent on that is not customer ready or the value is not yet overwhelming. Why are we trying to single out certain products?

“………Tesla Motors, the California-based electric car start-up, has been
the subject of a great deal of hype. With the recent news that it repaid its $465 million low-interest loan from the Department of Energy, it’s now being heralded as a success story worthy of redeeming the failures of a green-energy subsidy program that has included the likes of Solyndra, Abound, Ener1, and Fisker Automotive. Since then, Tesla’s stock value has more than doubled and the company is currently valued at around $12 billion.

Tesla’s success is ultimately a case study in the perils of
government-granted privilege, its financial success demonstrating a
reliance on political favoritism more than an ability to create value
for customers. Tesla Motors would not have been created were it not for
the generosity of politicians – if generosity is the right term for
spending taxpayers’ money.

The company began with a loan funded through the Advanced
Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program, which was signed into law by
President Bush; the loan was later awarded after President Obama took
office. In Tesla’s press release
announcing that it had paid back this low-interest loan, the company
was careful to thank all of those who made it possible, including “the
Department of Energy and the members of Congress and their staffs
that worked hard to create the ATVM program.”

[See a collection of political cartoons on the economy.]

Along with the federal loan, Tesla also relies on support from
politicians through a complex series of federal and state subsidies. For
each purchase of a new Tesla acquired for personal use, the federal
government offers a $7,500 federal tax credit. In addition, various states offer additional income-tax credits, including $6,000 in Colorado and $7,500 in West Virginia.
These subsidies have become so central to Tesla’s business model that it advertises
them to customers as a way to cover the cost of a down payment. And
for states that do not yet offer subsidies for electric cars? Tesla’s
website provides links
to help consumers encourage state and local legislators to subsidize
the purchase of such vehicles. The company’s site even goes so far as
to recommend consulting a tax professional……..”

CGriffin

That is nothing more than the OPINION of a fellow FUDster like yourself. The federal government has helped many major new industries get off the ground in the past. The Department of Energy’s loan was not created “FOR” Tesla. Elon Musk and Company just took advantage of it being available like any smart businessman would. Unlike the others who took advantage of this loan opportunity, Tesla is so far the only one to pay it back in full. By the way, General Motors would not exist today without government intervention, and they did not pay back all of their “bailout”. Just last month, the government had to sell off its remaining shares of GM stock for a $10.5 Billion LOSS of taxpayer money!! Chrysler is alive today only because Fiat bought them.

The federal and state income tax credit program was not created “FOR” Tesla either. Tesla merely takes advantage of it being available. It is an incentive to purchase their product that does not spend any taxpayer money. It is only a “potential” tax deduction IF you qualify for UP TO the $7500 federal amount, plus your state’s tax deduction (if there is one). You just pay less income tax, that’s all.

Dude, don’t bother replying to this person, they obviously have no idea. You have every right to be made and frustrated that someone spreads lies and hate on something that shouldn’t have that happening, but it’s his loss if he doesn’t want to buy into a revolution.

http://slrman.wordpress.com/ James Smith

Turd? Are you not aware that Consumer Reports gave the Tesla its highest rating ever for any car? That was not being based upon being an electric, but on being a car

But maybe you just don’t care about facts, progress or anything that disturbs your narrow little mind?.

sranger

Not supported by the tax payers… You can get a tax credit and get some of your own money back. Is that what you mean?

Maybe you meant the DOE loan that has already been paid back 9 year early with interest?

ClayManBob

Wow, way to bail out, just edit your comments to be a “period.”

Bit wussy, I’d say.

SirGCal

I don’t know why I do not find this news interesting… This is the reason I prefer diesel (or ideally even diesel hybrid cars which I can’t even find, WHY?). You can refill them and keep going without planning the route based on where a charging station is available. I’ve made cross-country trips in two days multiple times. The one thing that keeps me from even considering all-electric vehicles is their limited range then having to recharge for a time.

With long trips in a diesel vehicle, you can go many hundred miles on a fillup. The MPG outweighs the added fuel cost by a lot unless you’re talking about heavy duty pickups. And the power is also very impressive (hence the TDI races). More and more companies are picking up Diesel lineups to their cars and light duty trucks (come on Ford). In turn the added engine option cost also comes down…

Diesels interest me but all-electric doesn’t due to cost and usability. Maybe when battery and/or charging technology catch up to current tech they’ll be more attractive to people like me.

sranger

To each thier own… I don’t like Diesel. I do not like the noise or the smell..

Jeff Vahrenkamp

Being from South Dakota, it cracks me up that we’re the route you have to take a Tesla if you want to use the super charge stations. I recognize where each of those stations are because they are the places we had to stop the mini-van as kids to gas up driving across the state since it got about 200-250 miles/tank also.

CGriffin

This is only the first of several cross-country routes planned. Go to Tesla’s website and click on the Supercharger tab. Look at the 2014 and 2015 maps to see for yourself.

sranger

Be a little patient. There will be multiple routes by the end of the year…

sranger

Be patient… Wait until the ned of the year and there will be multiple routes,,,

CGriffin

You just posted the same comment twice.

sranger

oh the horror…..

CGriffin

Okay, after that comeback, I’ll also point out that so far, all you have done here is basically reiterate the comments I already made into your own words.

sranger

Sorry, I did not know that I could not do that to reenforce your point…

anders bjørnø

And you paid for gas at all them right?

Jeff Vahrenkamp

well I was 13 at the time, so no I didn’t pay for the gas :). Though for the current price of a tesla, I think that I could buy gas for a long time before I broke even on that. But progress has to start somewhere, and I think Musk is doing a fine job of it.

anders bjørnø

So in other words, if you saved all your money from then till now on all those stops which you never spent any money on… you could be driving a tesla…?

Dimitri Soto

true that’s why in 10 years time the cost, practicality, and range of these cars will outweigh the cost of a regular car, especially buying used.

Richard

Roll Tide!

ricks

Even if the car had 1000 mile range and would recharge in 1 minute, you will always see imbeciles writing stupid moronic comments. These commenters are either either hard core ev haters or are being paid to leave comments.

Dimitri Soto

people have the notion that electric is for wussies, but the tesla model s is faster than my gas guzzling eclipse. The technology will also improve, I can see 500 mile range electric cars in a couple of years.

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